WHOSWH<l 

AMONG -THE^ 

FERNS 

m  I,BEEGROFT 


L^i.#->--- 


Nnrtlj  (Harnltna  S>tatp 
(EoUrgF 


This  book  was  presented  by 


Harlan  C.  Brown 


B4 


This  book  is  due  on  the  date  indicated  below 
and  is  subject  to  a  fine  of  liPP  CENTS  a 
day  thereafter. 


FEB  22  1967 


121.975 


p»i  8  iaa^ 

uGl  2  6  1S77 

'■AU6  2  2  WW 

AUG  2  8  1985 
JMIL1986 


WHO'S  WHO 

AMONG 

THE  FERNS 


:on's  Fern. 


WHO'S  WHO  AMONG 
THE  FERNS 


COMPILED  AND  ILLUSTRATED 

BY 
W.  I.  BEECROFT 


NEW    YORK 

MOFFAT,  YARD  AND  COMPANY 

1910 


Copyright  1910,  by 

Moffat,  Yard  and  Company 

New  York 


All  Rights  Reservea 
Published  March,   1910 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The    Frond xv 

Key  to  the  Genera 1 

Clayton's    Fern 12 

Cinnamon    Fern 14 

Royal  Fern 18 

Lady  Fern 24 

Silvery  Spleen  wort 26 

Narrow-Leaved  Spleen  WORT .  28 

Ebony  Spleenwort 30 

Small  Spleenwort ,      .  34 

Wall  Rue 36 

Mountain  Spleenwort 38 

Scott's  Spleenwort 40 

PiNNATiFiD  Spleenwort 42 

Maidenhair  Spleenwort 44 

Green  Spleenwort 48 

Bradley's  Spleenwort 50 

Sensitive  Fern 54 

Sensitive  Fern 56 

Ostrich    Fern 58 

Bracken 60 

Purple  Cliff  Brake 62 

Slender  Cliff  Brake 66 

Dense    Cliff    Brake 68 

Rock  Brake 70 

Long  Beech  Fern 72 

Broad  Beech  Fern 74 

V 


vi  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Oak  Fern 76 

Limestonj:  Polypody 76 

Christmas  Fern 80 

Holly  Fern 84 

Braun's  Holly  Fern 86 

Marsh  Fern ^ 90 

New  York  Fern 92 

Massachusetts  Fern 94 

Marginal  Shield  Fern 96 

Male  Fern .100 

Goldie's  Shield  Fern 102 

Fragrant  Fern 104 

Crested  Shield  Fern 106 

Boott's  Shield  Fern 110 

Spinulose  Shield  Fern 112 

Common  or  Virginian  Chain  Fern 118 

Narrow-Leaved  Chain  Fern 120 

Hairy  Lip  Fern 122 

Woolly  Lip  Fern 124 

Fee's  Lip  Fern 126 

Alabama  Lip  Fern 128 

Common  Polypody 130 

Gray,  or  Hoary  Polypody 134 

Maidenhair  Fern 138 

Venus'-Hair  Fern 140 

Rusty  Woodsia 142 

Obtuse  Woodsia 146 

Northern  or  Alpine  Woodsia 148 

Smooth  Woodsia 150 

Walking  Fern 154 

Hay-Scented  Fern 158 

Cloak  Fern. 160 

Hart's  Tongue 1^^ 

Common  Bladder  Fern 1^4 


CONTENTS  vii 

PAGE 

BuLBiFERous  Bladder  Fern 168 

Curly  Grass 172 

Climbing  Fern 174 

Filmy  Fern 178 

Adder's  Tongue 182 

Lance-Leaved  Grape  Fern     .......   186 

Matricary  Grape  Fern ,      .      .      .    188 

Little  Grape  Fern 190 

Common  Grape  Fern 192 

Dissected  Grape  Fern ...    194 

Rattlesnake  Fern 196 

MOONWORT 198 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Clayton's  Fern  (a) Frontispiece 

Clayton's    Fern    (b) 13 

Cinnamon  Fern  (a) »      ...  15 

Cinnamon,  Fern  (b) „      ...  17 

Royal  Fern  (a) 19 

Royal  Fern    (b) «...  21 

Lady^  Fern .      .  25 

Silvery  Spleenwort 27 

Narrow-Leaved  Spleenwort 29 

Ebony  Spleenwort 31 

Ebony  Spleen vv^ort 33 

Small  Spleenwort 35 

Wall  Rue 37 

Mountain    Spleenwort 39 

Scott's  Spleenwort 41 

PiNNATiFiD  Spleenwort 43 

Maidenhair  Spleenwort   (a) 45 

Maidenhair  Spleenwort   (b) 47 

Green  Spleenwort 49 

Bradley's  Spleenwort 51 

Sensitive  Fern 55 

Sensitive  Fern =57 

Ostrich  Fern 59 

Brake         61 

Purple  Cliff  Brake   (a) 63 

Purple  Cliff  Brake  (b) 65 

ix 


X  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Slender  Cliff  Brake 67 

Dense  Cliff  Brake 69 

Rock  Brake 71 

Long  Beech  Fern 73 

Broad  Beech  Fern 75 

Oak  Fern 77 

Christmas  Fern  (a) 81 

Christmas  Fern  (b) 83 

Holly  Fern 85 

Braun.'s  Holly  Fern 87 

Marsh   Fern .91 

New  York  Fern 93 

Massachusetts  Fern 95 

Marginal  Shield  Fern  (a) 97 

Marginal  Shield  Fern  (b) 99 

Male  Fern 101 

Goldie's  Shield  Fern 103 

Fragrant  Fern 105 

Crested  Shield  Fern    (a) 107 

Crested   Shield    Fern    (b) 109 

Boott's  Shield  Fern Ill 

Spinulose  Shield  Fern   (a) 113 

Spinulose  Shield  Fern  (b) 115 

Virginian  Chain  Fern 119 

Narrow-Leaved  Chain   Fern 121 

Hairy  Lip  Fern 123 

Woolly  Lip  Fern 125 

Fee's  Lip  Fern 127 

Alabama  Lip  Fern 129 

Common  Polypody   (a) 131 

Common  Polypody   (b) 133 

Gray  Polypody 135 

Maidenhair  Fern 139 

Venus'-Hair  Fern 141 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xi 

PAGE 

Rusty  Woodsia  (a) 143 

Rusty  Woodsia   (b) 145 

Obtuse  Woodsia 147 

Alpine  Woodsia 149 

Smooth  Woodsia 151 

Walkin/g  Fern   (a) 155 

Walking  Fern  (b) 157 

Hay-Scented  Fern 159 

Cloak  Fern 161 

Hart's  Tongue 163 

Common  Bladder  Fern  (a) 165 

Common,  Bladder  Fern  (b) 167 

Bulbiferous  Bladder  Fern  (a) 169 

BuLBiFEROus  Bladder  Fern  (b) 170 

Curly  Grass 173 

Climbing  Fern 175 

Filmy  Fern 179 

Adder's  Tongue 183 

Lance-Leaved  Grape  Fern 187 

Matricary  Grape  Fern 189 

Little  Grape  Fern 191 

Common  Grape  Fern 193 

Dissected  Grape  Fern 195 

Rattlesnake  Fern 197 

Moonwort 199 


PREFACE 

It  almost  goes  without  saying  that  this  modest 
volume  is  not  expected  to  meet  the  demands  of  the 
experienced  and  systematic  botanist.  It  is  de- 
signed merely  to  aid  those  who,  having  the  love  of 
Nature  in  their  hearts,  desire  a  more  intimate  ac- 
quaintance with  those  beautiful  and  interesting 
plants,  the  ferns ;  and  if  in  the  perusal  of  its  pages 
it  leads  one  to  hitherto  unknown  fields,  to  discover 
for  himself  the  new  delights  and  hidden  beauties 
that  exist  on  every  hand,  thereby  contributing  a  lit- 
tle more  to  the  sum  of  human  happiness,  its  mission 
will  be  fulfilled. 

W.  I.  B. 

Boston,  October  30,  1909- 


Xlll 


INTRODUCTION 


THE  FROND 

It  seems  fitting  that  so  many  of  the  flowerless 
plants  should  so  fully  compensate  for  the  absence 
of  flowers  by  the  beauty  of  their  foliage.  Cer- 
tainly no  class  of  plants  is  more  graceful  or  more 
beautiful  in  form  than  the  ferns;  yet,  although 
they  are  universally  admired,  they  are,  unfortu- 
nately, little  known.  Their  unobtrusive  habits  and 
their  obscure  methods  of  reproduction  lend  an  air 
of  mystery  to  these  plants  which,  in  the  olden  time, 
gave  rise  to  numerous  absurd  notions  and  tradi- 
tions. But  the  days  of  superstition  are  passed,  and 
if  one  would  become  familiar  with  the  ferns  he 
should  first  learn  the  meaning  of  certain  structures, 
and  though  their  life  histories  may  be  somewhat 
complicated,  he  can,  at  least,  form  a  general  idea 
of  the  development  of  a  fern. 


Fig  1.— Prothallia  and  Young  Fronds. 
XV 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

On  the  under  side  of  the  fronds  of  most  species 
numerous  small  dots  may  be  found.  These  are 
sometimes  erroneously  called  the  **  flowers  "  of  the 
fern,  though  structurally,  they  bear  no  resemblance 
to  flowers.  These  small  bodies  termed  fruit  dots 
or  sori  (singular  sorus)  constitute  the  fruiting  or- 
gans of  the  fern.  In  their  earlier  stages  they  are, 
in  most  species,  covered  with  a  membrane  called 
the  indusium  (plural  indusia)  which  i3rotects  a  col- 
lection of  tiny  globes  called  sporangia  (singular 
sporangium^.  The  indusium  at  the  proper  time 
withers  and  disappears,  exposing  the  sporangia. 
In  each  sporangium  is  produced  a  large  number  of 
tiny  bodies  called  spores,  which  are  liberated  at 
maturity  by  the  snapping  open  of  the  sporangia 
or  spore-cases,  and  from  these  spores,  under  favor- 
able circumstances,  the  new  plants  arise.  In  view 
of  this  fact  the  natural  inference  might  be  that 
they  are  seeds,  but  they  bear  no  more  resemblance 
to  seeds  than  the  sori  do  to  flowers.  They  only 
correspond  to  seeds  inasmuch  as  they  serve  to  carry 
the  plants  through  a  resting  stage,  and  scatter  the 
species  far  and  wide.  A  germinating  spore  does 
not  give  rise  immediately  to  a  plant  like  the  parent 
as  true  seeds  do.  Instead,  it  develops  into  a  small, 
flat,  green,  heart-shaped  body,  scarcel}^  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  across,  called  the  prothallium  (plural 
prothallia)  (Fig.  1).  On  the  under  side  of  the 
prothallium  are  borne  two  minute  organs,  and  by 
the  union  of  their  contents  a  tiny  fern  develops. 

While  spores  are  produced  by  all  species  of 
ferns,  some  employ  other  methods  of  propagation 


INTRODUCTION 


xvii 


as  well,  such  as  by  means  of  bulblets,  runners,  or 
by  the  rooting  of  the  bent  tip  of  the  frond.        ^ 

A  frond  bearing  sporangia  is  known  as  a  fertile 
frond  in  contradistinction  to  the  unfruitful  or  ster- 
ile ones.  In  a  large  number  of  species  the  two 
kinds  of  fronds  closely  resemble  one  another,  while 
in  others  they  would  scarcely  be  recognized  as  be- 
longing to  the  same  plant. 

A  frond  is  said  to  be  pinnate  when  its  divisions 
are  cut  entirely  to  the  midrib  (Fig.  2-A).  The 
divisions  are  called  pinnae  (singular  piniia). 
When  a  frond  or  pinna  is  not  cut  entirely  to  the 
midrib  it  is  said  to  be  pinnatifid,  and  the  divisions 
are  termed  segments  or  lobes  (Fig.  2-B).  When 
the  pinnae  are  divided  to  their  midribs  the  frond 
is  said  to  be  t?vice  pinnate,  and  the  second  divisions 
are  called  pinnules  (Fig.  2-C). 


B 

Fig.  2. 

By  holding  a  frond  to  the  light  it  may  be  seen 
to  be  intersected  by  numerous  veins.  Wlien  these 
veins  branch  they  are  said  to  be  forking;  when 
they  terminate  without  connecting  with  one  an- 
other, they  are  said  to  be  free. 


nnae 


Pinnules 


Parts  of  a  Frond. 


INTRODUCTION  xlx 


HOW    FERNS    ARE    CLASSIFIED. 

The  ferns  are  classified  in  groups  chiefly  by  the 
shape  and  position  of  the  sori  and  indiisia,  so  it  is 
necessary,  in  most  cases,  for  the  beginner  to  ob- 
tain a  fertile  frond  in  order  to  identify  the  species 
with  certainty.  In  some  species  the  indusium  is 
quite  evanescent,  and  the  specimen  should  be  ob- 
tained before  the  indusia  have  withered.  Since  the 
different  species  of  ferns  mature  at  various  times 
throughout  the  season,  the  student  must  be  watch- 
ful from  early  summer  until  fall  in  order  to  secure 
specimens  when  in  the  proper  stage.  The  begin- 
ner will  doubtless  make  some  mistakes  at  first. 
The  young  fronds  of  some  of  the  large  species  will 
be  examined  until  the  absence  of  any  fruiting  por- 
tion discloses  their  identity  and  one  recognizes  an 
old  acquaintance.  Moreover,  some  species  are  ex- 
ceeding variable  in  the  cutting  of  their  fronds. 
In  fact,  constancy  can  hardly  be  said  to  be  the  rule 
among  the  ferns,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  much  obser- 
vation and  study  before  one  can  expect  to  recog- 
nize at  once  the  different  species  in  their  various 
forms. 

In  the  study  of  the  ferns  a  good  pocket  lens  is 
indispensable.  The  specific  differences  of  some  of 
the  species  are  often  quite  minute. 

The  nomenclature  adopted  in  this  book  is  that 
of  Gray's  "  Manual."  The  territory  covered  is, 
in  general,  the  eastern  half  of  the  United  States 
north  of  the  Gulf  States  and  the  adjacent  portion 
of  Canada. 


KEY  TO  THE  GENERA 


The  distinguishing  characters  of  the  different  genera 
may  be  found  by  referring  to  the  following  key,  and 
with  the  genus  known  it  is  usually  an  easy  matter  to  as- 
certain the  species.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  fruiting 
portion  of  the  ferns  is  not  always  on  the  backs  of  the 
ordinary  fronds;  in  some  species  it  is  borne  on  separate 
stalks.  For  this  reason  the  ferns  are  divided  into  two 
general  classes  in  the  key: 

1st. —  Those  in  which  the  sporangia  are  not  borne  on 
the  backs  of  the  ordinary  fronds. 

2nd. —  Those  in  which  the  sporangia  are  borne  on  the 
backs  of  the  ordinary  fronds. 
Sporangia  not  borne  on  the  backs  of  the  ordinary  fronds. 


B  C 

Osmunda. 

Fruiting  portion  borne  in  the  middle  of  the  frond. 
Clayton's   Fern,  A. 

1 


KEY  TO  THE  GENERA 


Fruiting    portion    on    long,    woolly,    brown    stalk. 

Cinnamon  Fern,  B. 
Fruiting  portion  on  the  tips  of  twice  pinnate  fronds. 

Royal  Fern,  C     Large  ferns  growing  in  clumps. 

OSMUNDA. 


12 


Fruiting  portion  in  green, 
berry-like  structures,  in  a 
twice  pinnate  spike;  sterile 
fronds  broad  and  coarse. 
Sensitive  Fern. 

Onoclea.     54< 


Onoclea. 


Fertile  frond  pinnate ;  pinnae 
very  narrow,  with  beaded 
edges;  large  species.  Os- 
trich Fern. 

Onoclea.     58 


Onoclea. 


Ophioglossum. 


Fruiting  portion  on  stalk  ris- 
ing above  a  simple,  leaf- 
like frond;  plants  small. 
Adder's  Tongue. 

Ophioglossum.   182 


KEY  TO  THE  GENERA 


3 


Botrvchium. 


Fruit  borne  in  a  more  or  less 
branching  spike  rising 
above  the  sterile  fro-nd. 
Grape   Ferns;   Moonwort. 

BOTRYCHIUM. 


PAGE 


186 


Fruit  borne  in  a  one-sided 
spike;  sterile  fronds  almost 
thread-like ;  plants  small. 
Curly  Grass. 

ScHiZAEA.   172 


Schizaea. 


Lygodium. 


Fruiting  portion  at  the  apex 
of  the  frond;  sterile  pin- 
nae or  frondlets  small^  di- 
vided into  finger-like  lobes ; 
rachis  twining.  Climbing 
Fern. 

Lygodium.   174? 


KEY  TO  THE  GENERA 


Sporangia  borne  on  the  under  side  of  the  ordinary 
fronds,  sori  in  dots  or  lines. 


Indusium  wanting,  A. 
Indusium  present,  formed  by 

the  reflexed  margins  of  the 

pinnules,  B. 
Indusium  present,  not  formed 

by  the  reflexed  margins  of 

the  pinnules,  C. 

A  —  Fruit  dots  large,  round- 
ish ;  evergreen,  rock  species. 
Polypody. 

POLYPODIUM.     130 

Fruit  dots  roundish,  small, 
fronds  triangular.  Beech 
Ferns. 

Phegopteris.     72 


Polypodium. 


Phegopteris. 


Notholaena. 


Fruit  dots  roundish  or  oblong, 
soon  forming  an  irregular 
marginal  band;  under  sur- 
face of  pinnules  covered 
with  a  whitish  powder. 
Cloak  Fern. 

Notholaena.   160 


KEY  TO  THE  GENERA 


PAGE 


B  —  Sporangia  in  a  contin- 
uous line  along  the  mar- 
gins of  the  pinnules,  the 
indusium  formed  by  the  re- 
flexed  edges;  fronds  large. 
Brake. 

Pteris. 


60 


Pteris. 


Adiantum. 


Sporangia  marginal,  borne 
at  the  ends  of  the  veins, 
the  indusium  formed  by  the 
reflexed  tips  of  the  lobes 
of  the  pinnules;  pinnules 
have  no  midrib,  veins 
springing  from  the  base  or 
from  the  lower  margin; 
stipes  dark.     Maidenhair. 

Adiantum.   138 


Pellaea. 


Sporangia  marginal,  indusium 
broad,  nearly  continuous, 
formed  by  the  reflexed 
edges  of  the  pinnules ; 
fronds  smooth,  stipes  dark ; 
rock  species.  Cliff"  Brake. 
Pellaea. 


62 


KEY  TO  THE  GENERA 


Cheilanthes. 


Sporangia  marginal,  indusium 
formed  by  the  reflexed  ends 
of  the  roundish  lobes,  soon 
pushed  back  by  the  enlarg- 
ing sporangia;  fronds  us- 
ually hairy.     Lip  Ferns. 

Cheilanthes.   122 


Cryptogramma, 


Fruiting  pinnules  long,  pod- 
like, indusium  formed  by 
the  reflexed  edges  reaching 
to  tlie  midrib,  opening  later 
quite  flat;  sterile  fronds 
shorter  than  the  fertile  with 
broader  divisions.  Rock 
Brakes. 

Cryptogramma. 


66 


Trichomanes. 


C  —  Fruit  dots  marginal,  ter- 
minating a  vein,  sporangia 
at  the  base  of  a  long,  bris- 
tle-like receptacle,  s  u  r  - 
rounded  by  a  cut-shaped  in- 
dusium which  is  two-lipped 
at  the  mouth.  Filmy  Fern. 
Trichomanes. 


178 


KEY  TO  THE  GENERA 


Froit  dots  elongated,  borne  in 
chain-like  rows  parallel  to 
the  midribs  of  the  pinnae 
and  lobes,  opening  on  the 
side  next  to  the  midrib; 
large^  water-loving  species. 
Chain  Ferns. 

WooDWARDiA.   lis 

Fruit  dots  roundish,  indusium 
fixed  by  the  center;  ever- 
green. Christmas  Fern ; 
Holly  Ferns. 

POLYSTICHUM.       80 


Fruit  dots  roundish,  indusium 
roundish  or  kidney-shaped, 
attached  at  the  base  of  a 
notch.      Shield  Ferns. 

AspiDiuM.     90 


Aspidium. 


Cystopteris. 


Fruit  dots  roundish,  indusium 
hood-like,  attached  by  a 
broad  base  and  arching 
over  the  sporangia,  opening 
on  the  side  toward  the  apex 
of  the  lobes,  soon  wither- 
ing.     Bladder  Ferns. 

Cystopteris. 


164 


KEY  TO  THE  GENERA 


Woodsia. 


PAGE 

Fruit  dots  roundish^  indusium 
fixed  beneath  the  sorus  and 
enclosing  it  when  young, 
bursting  at  the  top  into  sev- 
eral irregular  segments, 
soon  withering;  rock  spe- 
cies. 

Woodsia.    142 


Dicksonia. 


Fruit  dots  small,  globular, 
borne  on  reflexed  toothlets 
of  the  pinnules ;  indusium 
cup-shaped,  fixed  beneath 
the  sorus,  open  at  the  top; 
fronds  finely  cut.  Hay- 
scented  Fern. 

Dicksonia.   158 


Fruit  dots  long  and  narrow, 
almost  at  right  angles  to 
the  midrib,  borne  in  pairs 
between  two  veins,  opening 
along  the  middle;  blade 
long,  undivided.  Hart's 
Tongue. 

SCOLOPENDRIUM.     l62 


Scolopendrium. 


KEY  TO  THE  GENERA 


PAGE 

Fruit  dots  elongcated,  irregu- 
larly scattered,  some  par- 
allel to  the  midrib,  others 
oblique  to  it;  blade  taper- 
ing into  a  long  slender  tip. 
Walking  Fern. 

Camptosorus.   154 


Camptosorus. 


Asplenium. 


Fruit  dots  mostly  oblique  to 
the  midrib,  straight  or 
curved,  sometimes  crossing 
a  veinlet ;  indusium  fixed  on 
one  side,  opening  on  the 
side  next  the  midrib ; 
fronds  variously  lobed  or 
divided.  Spleenworts ; 
Lady  Fern. 

Asplenium.     24 


THE  FLOWERING  FERX 
FAMILY 


12  OSMUNDA 

CLAYTON'S  FERN;  INTERRUPTED  FERN: 

Osmunda  Claytoniana. 

Sterile  and  fertile  fronds  dissimilar;  sterile 
fronds  large,  pinnate;  pinnae  lance-shaped,  deeply 
pinnatifid  into  numerous  blunt  divisions.  Fertile 
fronds  usually  taller  than  the  sterile,  2  to  4  feet 
high;  sporangia  borne  on  much  transformed  pinnae 
near  the  middle  of  frond,  greenish  in  appearance 
at  first,  afterward  turning  brown. 

Found  in  low  grounds  from  Newfoundland  to 
jMinnesota,  south  to  North  Carolina,  Kentucky  and 
Missouri. 


Clayton's  Fern. 


14j  OSMUNDA 

CINNAMON  FERN;  BRAKE: 

Osmunda  cinnamomea. 

Sterile  and  fertile  fronds  dissimilar;  sterile 
fronds  often  6  feet  in  height,  growing  in  a  circle 
and  spreading  out  in  a  vase-like  form,  pinnate ;  pin- 
nae lance-shaped,  deeply  pinnatifid  with  blunt  divi- 
sions; fertile  fronds  stiff,  reddish-brown,  club-like 
structures,  which  wither  and  disappear  early  in  the 
summer  after  the  spores  are  shed;  the  young  un- 
rolling fronds  or  "  croziers  "  often  called  "  fiddle- 
heads." 

The  sterile  fronds  much  resemble  those  of  0. 
Claytoniana,  from  which  they  may  be  distinguished 
by  the  little  tufts  of  wool  at  the  base  of  each  pinna. 

Common  in  swampy  places  and  low  ground, 
widely  distributed. 

In  the  variety  incisa  the  segments  of  the  pinnae 
are  more  or  less  cut  or  pinnatifid. 

NOTES. 


Cinnamon  Fern  (a), 


16  OSMUNDA 


NOTES. 


"'(--'' ■'■^:: 


Cinnamon   Fern    (b). 


18  OSMUNDA 

ROYAL   FERN;    FLOWERING    FERN: 

Osmunda  regalis. 

Fronds  2  to  6  feet  tall^  growing  in  clumps^  often 
in  shallow  water^  twice  pinnate^  the  large  and 
rather  distant  pinnae  and  pinnules  giving  them  a 
light  and  airy  appearance;  sterile  and  fertile 
fronds  alike,  except  that  in  the  latter  the  upjjer 
pinnae   are   changed  into   spore-bearing   organs. 

Found  usually  in  moist  places,  widely  dis- 
tributed. 

NOTES. 


Royal   Fern    (a). 


OSMUNDA 


NOTES. 


Royal  Fern    (b). 


^%  OSMUNDA 


THE  POLYPODIUM  FAMILY 


24  ASPLENIUM 

LADY  FERN:  Asplenium  FiUx-femina. 

(Athyriiun  Filix-feminaJ) 

Fronds  1  to  4  feet  high;,  twice  pinnate,  exceed- 
ingly variable  in  their  cutting;  pinnae  lance- 
shaped,  acute,  the  pinnules  deeply  cut  and  toothed. 

Fruit  dots  borne  in  a  double  row  on  the  pin- 
nules, at  length  running  together.  When  young 
they  extend  in  a  horseshoe  shape  across  the  veins 
which  bear  them,  later  becoming  almost  straight. 

Common  in  moist  woods  in  nearly  all  parts  of 
the  United  States. 

NOTES. 


Lady  Fern. 


S6  ASPLENIUM 

SILVERY  SPLEENWORT: 

Asplenium  acrostichoides. 
(^A.  thelypteroides;  Athyrium  acrostichoides.^ 

Fronds  2  to  3  feet  high,  growing  in  clumps,  nar- 
rowed toward  the  base,  pinnate ;  pinnae  long  lance- 
shaped,  with  crowded,  obtuse,  minutely  toothed 
lobes;  fertile  fronds  appearing  later  than  the 
sterile. 

Fruit  dots  numerous,  slightly  curving,  borne  in  a 
double  row  on  the  lobes  oblique  to  the  midvein  of 
the  lobes. 

Found  in  moist  woods  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Min- 
nesota, Georgia  and  Alabama. 

NOTES. 


Silvery  Spleenwort. 


28  ASPLENIUM 

NARROW-LEAVED  SPLEENWORT: 

Asplenium  angustifdlium. 
{Athi/rium  angusti folium.) 

Fronds  2-4  feet  high,  growing  in  clumps,  thin 
and  delicate,  simply  pinnate;  pinnae  long,  narrow, 
tapering  toward  the  tip;  fertile  fronds  taller  than 
the  sterile,  and  pinnae  much  narrower,  appearing 
in  midsummer. 

Fruit  dots  elongated,  numerous,  in  two  rows, 
opening  on  the  side  next  the  midvein. 

Found  in  moist  woods  from  western  Quebec  and 
New  Hampshire,  to  ]\Iinnesota  and  southward. 

NOTES. 


Narrow-Leaved  Spleenwort. 


30  ASPLENIUM 

EBONY  SPLEENWORT: 

Asplenium  platyneuron. 
(A.  ebeneum.) 

Fronds  upright^  8  to  20  inches  high.,  growing  in 
little  tufts ;  fertile  fronds  much  taller  than  the  ster- 
ile, with  more  distant  pinnae,  pinnate;  pinnae 
usually  alternate,  inclined  to  be  eared  on  both  sides, 
finely  toothed  or  incised;  stipe  dark  and  shining. 

Fruit  dots  elongated,  borne  in  a  double  row  on 
the  pinnae,  nearer  the  midvein  than  the  margin. 

Found  in  rocky  soil  from  Maine  to  Colorado,  and 
southward. 

In  the  variety  serratum  the  pinnae  are  more  or 
less  deeply  toothed. 

NOTES. 


Ebony  Spleen  wort  (a), 


32  ASPLENIUM 

NOTES. 


Ebony   Spleenwort    (b). 


34  ASPLENIUM 

SMALL  SPLEENWORT: 

Asplenium  pdrvulum. 
{A.  resiliens.) 

Fronds  upright,  4  to  10  inches  in  height,  pin- 
nate; pinnae  mostly  opposite,  blunt,  slightly  eared 
on  the  upper  side,  or  often  on  both  upper  and 
lower  sides ;  stipe  and  rachis  dark  and  shining. 

Resembles  the  ebony  spleenwort  but  differs  in 
the  pinnae  being  usually  opposite,  and  the  sterile 
and  fertile  fronds  of  the  same  size. 

Fruit  dots  borne  on  the  backs  of  the  ordinary 
fronds  in  two  rows  on  the  pinnae. 

Found  in  rocky  places  from  Virginia  to  Kansas, 
and  southward. 

NOTES. 


c::^ 


C=i^ 


Small  Spleenvvort. 


36  ASPLENIUM 

WALL  RUE;  RUE  SPLEENWORT: 

Asplenium  Ruta-muraria. 

Fronds  seldom  more  than  5  inches  high,  grow- 
ing in  tufts,  twice  or  three  times  pinnate  at  the 
base,  with  stalked'  pinnae  and  pinnules;  pinnae 
usually  alternate;  pinnules  wedge-shaped,  with 
outer  margin  slightly  toothed;  rachis  and  stipe 
green. 

Nearly  every  frond  fertile,  2  to  4  fruit  dots 
borne  on  each  pinnule. 

Found  on  limestone  cliffs  from  Vermont  to  On- 
tario, Michigan  and  southward. 


Wall  Rue. 


38  ASPLENIUM 

MOUNTAIN  SPLEENWORT: 

Asplenium  montanum. 

Fronds  2  to  6  inches  long,  broadest  at  the  base; 
lowest  pinnae  stalked,  pinnate  or  pinnatifid  with 
toothed  lobes,  the  upper  ones  becoming  simpler. 

Fruit  dots  irregularly  scattered,  borne  on  almost 
every  frond. 

Found  on  cliffs  and  rocks  from  Connecticut  to 
Ohio,  Kentucky,  Arkansas  and  southward. 


Mountain  Spleenwort. 


40  ASPLENIUM 

SCOTT'S  SPLEEN  WORT: 

Asplenium  ehenoides. 

Fronds  4  to  8  inches  high,  lance-shaped,  pinnat- 
ifid  or  pinnate  below,  deeply  pinnatifid  above,  di- 
visions broadest  at  the  base,  with  considerable 
variation  in  their  shape  and  cutting;  apex  usually- 
long  and  slender,  often  producing  young  fronds  at 
the  tip;  stipes  dark  and  shining.  Demonstrated 
by  Miss  Margaret  Slosson  to  be  a  hybrid  between 
the  walking  fern  and  the  ebony  spleenwort. 

Fruit  dots  as  in  other  spleenworts. 

Found  on  limestone  cliffs  from  Vermont  to  Mis- 
souri, and  southward;  very  rare. 


Scott's  Spleenwort. 


42  ASPLENIUM 

PINNATIFID  SPLEENWORT: 

Asplenium  pinnatifidum. 

Fronds  3  to  8  inches  long,  lance-shaped,  pin- 
natifid  or  pinnate  below  with  roundish  lobes,  taper- 
ing above  into  a  slender  prolongation,  which  some- 
times takes  root  at  the  tip  after  the  manner  of  the 
walking  fern.  There  is  considerable  variation  in 
the  cutting  of  the  fronds ;  stipe  brownish,  becoming 
green  above. 

Fruit  dots  scattered,  borne  on  the  prolongation 
as  well  as  the  lobes. 

Found  on  rocks  from  Connecticut  to  Missouri 
and  southward;  rare. 

NOTES. 


Pinnatifid  Spleenwort. 


44^  ASPLENIUM 

MAIDENHAIR  SPLEENWORT: 

Asplenium  Trichomanes. 

Fronds  seldom  more  than  8  inches  long  and  half 
an  inch  wide,  growing  in  spreading  tufts,  pinnate; 
pinnae  roundish  or  slightly  elongated,  more  or  less 
toothed;  stipe  and  rachis  dark  and  shining. 

Fruit  dots  oblong,  borne  on  the  backs  of  the 
ordinary  pinnae,  oblique  to  the  midvein. 

Found  on  shaded  rocks,  widely  distributed. 

NOTES. 


Maidenhair  Spleenwort  (a). 


46  ASPLENIUM 


NOTES. 


Maidenhair  Spleenwort   (b). 


48  ASPLENIUM 

GREEN   SPLEENWORT:         Asplenium   viride. 

Fronds  usually  less  than  6  inches  long^  grow- 
ing in  little  tufts^  pinnate;  pinnae  roundish^  short- 
stalked,  round-toothed;  stipe  brownish  at  the  base, 
passing  into  a  green  rachis.  This  feature  serves 
to  distinguish  it  from  the  maidenhair  spleenwort, 
which  it  closely  resembles. 

Fruit  dots  borne  on  the  backs  of  the  ordinary 
fronds. 

Found  on  shaded  limestone  from  Newfoundland 
to  northern  New  England,  westward  and  north- 
ward. 


Green  Spleenwort. 


50  ASPLENIUM 

BRADLEY'S  SPLEENWORT: 

Asplenium  Bradleyi. 

Fronds  3  to  10  inches  high;,  long  lance-shaped, 
pinnate;  pinnae  short-stalked,  blunt,  lower  ones  no 
larger  than  the  middle  ones,  cut  into  oblong, 
toothed  lobes;  stipes  dark  and  somewhat  shining. 

Fruit  dots  as  in  other  spleenworts. 

Found  on  cliffs  and  rocks  from  eastern  New 
York  to  Kentucky,  Missouri  and  southward;  rare. 

NOTES. 


Cx: 


K> 


CA\ 


Bradley's  Spleenwort. 


52  ASPLENIUM 


ASPLENIUM  53 


54  ONOCLEA 

SENSITIVE  FERN:  Onoclea  sensibilis. 

Sterile  and  fertile  fronds  dissimilar;  sterile 
fronds  1  to  3  feet  high  on  long  stipes,  deeply  pin- 
natifid,  the  divisions  long  lance-shaped,  wavy- 
edged  or  deeply-lobed,  the  lower  often  distinct; 
fertile  fronds  shorter,  closely  twice  pinnate,  the 
pinnules  rolled  up  into  berry-like  bodies  enclosing 
the  sori,  appearing  later  than  the  sterile.  The 
dried  fertile  fronds  are  conspicuous  in  the  late  fall 
and  early  spring. 

Common  in  moist  meadows  and  thickets;  widely 
distributed. 

NOTES. 


Sensitive  Fern. 


56  ONOCLEA 

SENSITIVE  FERN,  form  obtusilobata 

Onoclea  sensibilis,  f.  obtusilobata. 
These   various    forms   of  the   sensitive    fern   are 
intermediate   between  the   normal   sterile   and   fer- 
tile  fronds,   and  often   follow  the  cutting  of  the 
early  sterile  fronds. 

NOTES. 


Sensitive  Fern,  Form  Obtusilobdta. 


58  ONOCLEA 

OSTRICH  FERN:  Onoclea  Struthiopteris. 

{Struthiopteris   Germanica;  Matteuccia  Struthiop- 
teris.) 

Sterile  and  fertile  fronds  widely  dissimilar;  ster- 
ile fronds  3  to  7  feet  high  growing  in  circles, 
broadest  toward  the  apex,  which  is  abruptly  nar- 
rowed, pinnate ;  pinnae  long  and  narrow,  cut  nearly 
to  the  midrib  into  close,  short,  slightly-curving 
lobes ;  fertile  fronds  short,  stiff,  pinnate,  with  long, 
narrow,  beaded-edged  pinnae,  appearing  in  mid- 
summer within  the  circle  of  the  sterile  ones. 

Fronds  intermediate  between  the  sterile  and  fer- 
tile are  sometimes  produced  by  the  cutting  of  the 
early  sterile  fronds. 

Found  in  swampy  places,  and  along  the  borders 
of  streams  and  ponds,  from  Newfoundland  to  Vir- 
ginia and  northwestward. 

NOTES. 


Ostrich  Fern. 


60  PTERIS 

BRACKEN; BRAKE; EAGLE  FERN: 

Pteris  aquilina. 
(JPteridium  aquilinum.) 

Frond  large  and  spreading,  1  to  3  feet  high, 
borne  on  the  summit  of  an  erect  stalk,  triangular 
in  outline,  divided  into  three  principal  divisions; 
the  widely  spreading  side  divisions  are  twice  pin- 
nate, the  lower  pinnules  more  or  less  pinnatifid, 
with  oblong,  obtuse  lobes,  variable  in  their  shape 
and  cutting. 

The  fruit  is  borne  on  the  margins  of  the  pinnules 
in  a  continuous  line,  covered  by  an  indusium 
formed  by  the  reflexed  edges  of  the  pinnules. 

Common  in  thickets  and  on  hillsides,  widely  dis- 
tributed. 

A  variety  known  as  P.  pseudocaudata  has  nar- 
row and  much  elongated  pinnules. 


.\^^^'^''^ 


Brake. 


62-  PELLAEA 

PURPLE  CLIFF  BRAKE: 

Pellaea  atropurpurea. 

Fronds  4  to  24  inches  liigli^  of  a  peculiar^  bluish- 
green  color;  pinnate  or  twice  pinnate  below,  but 
very  irregular  in  the  matter  of  division,  lobed  or 
forking  pinnules  common;  fertile  fronds  some- 
what taller  than  the  sterile,  and  the  pinnules  longer 
and  narrower;  stipes  dark. 

Fruit  dots  marginal,  covered  with  an  indusium 
formed  by  the  reflexed  edges  of  the  pinnules. 

Found  on  rocks  in  limestone  regions  from  New 
England  to  Georgia  and  westward. 

NOTES. 


Purple   ClifF   Brake    (a). 


64  PELLAEA 


NOTES. 


Purple   Cliff   Brake    (b). 


66.       CRYPTOGRAMMA 

SLENDER  CLIFF  BRAKE: 

Crypto  gramma  Stelleri. 
{Pellaea  gracilis.) 

Fronds  3  to  6  inches  in  length,  and  quite  dis- 
similar; fertile  fronds  usually  twice  pinnate  with 
narrow  pinnules,  taller  and  more  erect  than  the 
sterile  ones ;  sterile  fronds  generally  pinnate,  with 
pinnatifid  pinnae,  and  broad,  blunt  segments,  which 
are  more  or  less  irregularly  notched. 

Fruit  dots  borne  close  to  the  margin,  covered 
with  a  broad  indusium,  which  usually  extends  en- 
tirely around  the  pinnule. 

A  delicate  species,  requiring  shade  and  mois- 
ture, found  on  limestone  rocks  from  New  Bruns- 
wick and  Quebec  to  Vermont,  Connecticut,  Penn- 
sylv^ania,  Illinois  and  Colorado. 

NOTES. 


Slender  Cliff  Brake. 


68  CRYPTOGRAMMA 

DENSE  CLIFF  BRAKE: 

Cryptogrdmma  densa. 
{Pellaea  densa.) 

Fronds  4  to  8  inches  high;,  usually  three  times 
pinnate,  nearly  every  frond  fertile.  In  the  fertile 
fronds  the  pinnules  curve  back  over  the  sori  and 
have  the  appearance  of  narrow,  half-open,  sharp- 
pointed  pods,  from  a  quarter  to  half  an  inch  in 
length;  segments  of  the  sterile  fronds  broader, 
acute,  and  sharply  toothed;  stipes  dark. 

Fruit  dots  and  indusium  marginal. 

Found  on  cliffs,  growing  in  dense  tufts,  on  Mt. 
Albert  in  Quebec,  in  Grey  County,  Ontario,  and  in 
the  far  west. 


Dense  Cliff  Brake. 


70  CRYPTOGRAMMA 

ROCK  BRAKE:        Crypto  gramma  acrostichoides. 

Sterile  and  fertile  fronds  dissimilar,  6  to  8, inches 
high;  sterile  fronds  twice  to  three  times  pinnate, 
pinnae  deeply  cut  into  lobed  and  toothed,  rounded 
pinnules;  fertile  fronds  three  times  pinnate,  with 
long,  narrow,  pod-like  divisions,  the  edges  of  which 
roll  back  to  the  midrib,  and  later  spread  out  nearly 
flat. 

Fruit  dots  borne  near  the  margins  of  the  divi- 
sions. 

Found  growing  in  clumps  in  the  crevices  of  rocks 
from  Lake  Huron,  Lake  Superior,  Colorado  and 
California,  to  the  Arctic  regions. 

NOTES. 


Rock  Brake. 


72  PHEGOPTERIS 

LONG  BEECH  FERN: 

Phegopteris  polypodioides. 
{P.  Phegopteris.) 

Fronds  triangular,  longer  than  broad,  often  18 
inches  high,  pinnate;  pinnae  long,  narrow,  acute, 
cut  nearly  to  the  midrib  into  oblong,  blunt  seg- 
ments, the  upper  forming  a  lobed  border  along  the 
rachis,  the  lower  separate,  standing  forward  and 
downward;  intergrading  forms  between  this  and 
the  broad  beech  fern  frequent. 

Fruit  dots  small,  round,  without  indusia,  borne 
near  the  margins  of  the  segments. 

Found  in  damp,  rocky  woods  and  along  the  bor- 
ders of  woodland  brooks,  from  Newfoundland  to 
Alaska,  south  to  Virginia,  Iowa,  Wisconsin  and 
Washington. 

NOTES. 


Long  Beech  Fern. 


T4         PHEGOPTERIS 

BROAD  BEECH  FERN: 

Phegopteris  hexagonoptera. 

Fronds  triangular,  similar  in  appearance  to  those 
of  the  long  beech  fern,  but  usually  broader  than 
long,  pinnate;  pinnae  lance-shaped,  cut  nearly  to 
the  midrib  into  oblong,  blunt,  more  or  less  toothed 
segments ;  the  lowest  i3air  of  pinnae  much  the  larg- 
est, and  the  lower  segments  are  much  elongated. 
The  lower  jjinnae  form  a  continuous  many-angled 
wing  along  the  main  rachis ;  variable  in  outline,  and 
in  the  cutting  of  the  pinnae. 

Fruit  dots  small,  without  indusia,  borne  near  the 
margins  of  the  segments. 

Found  in  rather  open  woods  from  Quebec  and 
New  England  to  Minnesota  and  southward. 


***nf(to«vlvl3g!3S3S'- 


Broad  Beech  Fern. 


76  PHEGOPTERIS 

OAK  FERN:  Phegoptens  Dryopteris. 

Fronds  usually  less  than  one  foot  liighj,  smooth, 
broadly  triangular  in  outline,  the  three  principal 
divisions  triangular,  stalked,  and  widely  spreading, 
quite  resembling  the  bracken  in  miniature.  The 
middle  division  of  the  frond  is  slightly  the  largest, 
and  the  lower  pinnules  of  the  side  divisions  are  the 
longest;  stipes  slender. 

Fruit  dots  small,  round,  without  indusia,  borne 
near  the  margins  of  the  lobes. 

Found  in  moist,  rock}^  woods  from  Newfoundland 
to   Virginia. 

LIMESTONE  POLYPODY: 

Phegopteris  Robertiana. 
(P.   calcarea.) 

Fronds  8  to  18  inches  long,  similar  in  form  to 
those  of  the  oak  fern,  but  are  minutely  glandular, 
and  the  terminal  division  is  much  larger  than  the 
two  side  divisions. 

Fruit  dots  small,  round,  without  indusia,  borne 
near  the  margins  of  the  lobes. 

Found  on  shaded  limestone  from  Labrador  to 
Quebec,  Iowa,  Minnesota  and  Manitoba;  rare. 


Oak   Fern. 


78  PHEGOPTERIS 


NOTES. 


PHEGOPTERIS  79 


NOTES. 


80  POLYSTICHUM 

CHRISTMAS  FERN: 

Polystichum  acrostichoides. 
{Aspidium  acrostichoides.) 

Fronds  1  to  3  feet  high^  evergreen^  lance-shaped, 
acute,  pinnate;  pinnae  firm,  narrow,  finely  toothed, 
eared  on  the  upper  side  at  the  base,  arranged 
mostly  alternately;  fertile  fronds  taller  than  the 
sterile,  and  differ  from  them  in  having  the  upper 
fruiting  pinnae  reduced  in  size;  stipe  scaly. 

Fruit  dots  borne  in  rows  lengthwise  of  the 
pinnae,  eventually  running  together,  covering  the 
whole  of  the  under  surface  with  the  brown  spo- 
rangia. 

The  variety  incisum  may  be  distinguished  by  its 
deeply-toothed  pinnae,  and  by  the  fruit  dots  con- 
tinuing downward  on  the  tips  of  the  ordinary  pin- 
nae, gradually  decreasing  in  number;  rarely  the 
pinnae  are  cut  to  the  midrib. 

The  variety  crispum  has  beautifully-crisped  and 
ruffled  pinnae. 

Common  in  rocky  woods  from  Canada  to  Florida, 
Mississippi,  Arkansas  and  Wisconsin. 

NOTES. 


Pyr,-^- 


Christmas  Fern   (a). 


POLYSTICHUM 


NOTES. 


Christmas  Fern  (b). 


84  POLYSTICHUM 

HOLLY  FERN:  Polystichum  Lonchitis. 

(Aspidium  Lonchitis.) 

Fronds  6  to  24  inches  high^  long  lance-shaped, 
tapering  toward  the  base,  short-stalked,  pinnate; 
pinnae  rather  broad,  spiny-toothed,  eared  on  the 
upper  side  and  curving  upward,  the  lowest  shorter 
and  triangular. 

Fruit  dots  round,  borne  on  the  backs  of  the  up- 
per pinnae  in  two  rows  midway  between  the  midrib 
and  the  margins,  and  also  upon  the  ears. 

Found  in  rocky  woods  from  Nova  Scotia  to  south- 
ern Ontario,  and  far  north  and  west. 

• 

NOTES. 


Holly  Fern. 


86         POLYSTICHUM 

BRAUN'S  HOLLY  FERN: 

Polysticlium  Braunii. 
(^Aspidium  aculeatum,  var.  Braunii.) 

Fronds  1  to  3  feet  long,  tapering  toward  the 
base,  evergreen,  short-stalked,  twice  pinnate; 
pinnae  broadest  at  the  base,  acute;  pinnules  in- 
clined to  be  eared,  sharply  toothed;  both  stipe  and 
rachis  covered  with  chafFy  hairs  and  brown  scales. 

Fruit  dots  not  very  conspicuous,  borne  on  the 
backs  of  the  ordinary  fronds. 

Found  in  rich  upland  woods  from  Newfoundland 
to  Lake  Superior,  and  in  the  mountains  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 


^33Bsls# 


Braun's  Holly  Fern. 


88  POLYSTICHUM 


NOTES. 


POLYSTICHUM  89 


NOTES. 


90  ASPIDIUM 

MARSH  FERN:  Aspidium  Thelypteris. 

(Nephrodium;  Dryopteris.) 

Fronds  lance-shaped  in  outline,  slightly  nar- 
rowed at  the  base,  pinnate;  pinnae  set  at  right 
angles  to  the  rachis,  rather  narrow,  cut  nearly  to 
the  midrib  into  short,  blunt  lobes;  first  fronds  al- 
ways sterile,  the  fertile  fronds  not  appearing  until 
midsummer.  The  pinnules  of  the  fertile  fronds 
appear  to  be  narrower  and  more  pointed  than  those 
of  the  sterile  ones,  owing  to  their  reflexed  margins, 
which  nearly  cover  the  fruit  dots;  stipes  long, 
sometimes  twice  as  long  as  the  blades;  veins  fork- 
ing. 

Fruit  dots  small,  borne  in  two  rows  on  each  pin- 
nule; indusium  minute,  soon  withering,  the  spo- 
rangia spreading  out  and  nearly  covering  the  under 
surface  of  the  pinnule. 

Common  in  marshes,  widely  distributed. 


Marsh  Fern. 


92  ASPIDIUM 

NEW  YORK  FERN: 

Aspidium  novehoracense. 
{Dryopteris     novehoracensis ;    Nephrodium    nove- 
horacense.) 

Fronds  8  to  24  inches  long,  widest  in  the  middle, 
tapering  both  ways,  pinnate;  pinnae  long  and  nar- 
row, deeply  cut  into  rounded  lobes;  below,  the 
pinnae  become  more  distant,  and  reduced  in  size  to 
mere  ears,  forming  a  distinguishing  feature  of  this 
fern;  veins  simple,  or  forked  only  in  the  basal 
lobes;  fertile  fronds  appearing  later  than  the 
sterile. 

Fruit  dots  distinct,  borne  near  the  margin;  in- 
dusium  minute. 

Common  in  rich  woods,  widely  distributed. 

NOTES. 


New  York  Fern. 


94  ASPIDIUM 

MASSACHUSETTS  FERN: 

Aspidium  simulatum. 
{N epJir odium ;  Dryopteris  simulata.) 

This  fern  is  similar  in  habit  to  the  marsh  fern 
and  the  New  York  fern,  but  may  be  distinguished 
from  them  by  the  following  characteristics:  the 
lower  pinnae  are  somewhat  contracted,  but  are 
never  so  small  as  those  of  the  New  York  fern;  the 
simple  (not  forking)  veins  distinguish  it  from  the 
marsh  fern. 

Found  in  wet  woods  from  Maine  to  Pennsylvania 
and  Maryland. 

NOTES. 


(AM 


^^^ 
^S^ 
^^^ 


M'o//o/0//o- 0/ 


Massachusetts  Fern. 


96  ASPIDIUM 

MARGINAL  SHIELD  FERN: 

Aspidium  marginale. 
(Nephrodium;  Dryopteris  marginalis.) 

Fronds  1  to  3  feet  long,  growing  in  circles,  ever- 
green, pinnate  to  twice  pinnate;  pinnae  lance- 
shaped,  pointed;  pinnules  slightly  curving,  and  in 
the  lower  pinnae  may  be  lobed;  stipes  chaffy. 

Fruit  dots  conspicuous,  borne  close  to  the  mar- 
gins of  the  pinnules  without  crowding;  indusium 
convex,  whitish. 

Found  in  rich  woods  from  Nova  Scotia  to 
Georgia,  Alabama  and  westward. 

NOTES. 


Marginal  Shield  Fern   (a), 


98  ASPIDIUM 


NOTES. 


Marginal  Shield  Fern   (b). 


100  ASPIDIUM 

MALE   FERN:  Aspidium  Filix-mds. 

{Nephrodiumj  Dryopteris.) 

Fronds  1  to  4  feet  long^  lance-shaped,  standing 
in  circles;  pinnae  narrowly  lance-shaped,  tapering 
from  the  base  toward  the  apex;  pinnules  oblong, 
blunt,  sharply  toothed  at  the  apex,  obscurely  so 
at  the  sides,  the  basal  lobed  and  distinct;  stipes 
scaly. 

Fruit  dots  nearer  the  midvein  than  the  margin, 
usually  confined  to  the  lower  half  of  each  fertile 
pinnule. 

Found  in  rocky  woods  from  the  far  north  to 
Newfoundland,  Nova  Scotia,  northern  Vermont, 
Lake  Superior,  Lake  Huron,  Dakota,  Arizona  and 
California. 


Male  Fern. 


102  ASPIDIUM 

GOLDIE'S  SHIELD  FERN: 

Aspidium  Goldieanum. 
{Nephrodium;  Dryopteris  Goldieana.) 

Fronds  large  and  broad^  often  4  feet  high^ 
nearly  twice  pinnate;  pinnae  broadest  near  the 
middle^  cut  nearly  to  the  midrib  into  long^  blunt^ 
slightly-toothed^  curving  pinnules. 

Fruit  dots  borne  near  the  midvein;  indusium 
very  large,  smooth  and  without  marginal  glands. 

Found  in  moist  woods  from  Canada  to  New 
England,  Tennessee  and  Minnesota. 

The  variety  celsum  differs  from  the  type  in  be- 
ing narrower,  with  pinnae  and  pinnules  farther 
apart,  and  the  lowest  pinnae  on  rather  long  stalks; 
found  on  old  decaying  logs. 


Goldie's  Shield  Fern. 


104  ASPIDIUM 

FRAGRANT  FERN:  Aspidium  fragrans. 

{Nephrodium;  Dryopteris.) 

Fronds  4  to  12  inches  long,  narrowly  lance- 
shaped,  glandular  and  aromatic,  twice  pinnate; 
divisions  of  the  pinnae  obtuse,  more  or  less 
toothed;  stipes  short,  bearing  chaffy,  brown  scales. 
The  old  fronds  droop  and  curl  in  a  characteristic 
manner. 

Indusia  very  large,  nearly  covering  the  under 
surface  of  the  pinnules. 

Found  on  cliffs  from  northern  New  England  to 
Minnesota  and  northward. 


Fragrant  Fern. 


106  ASPIDIUM 

CRESTED  SHIELD  FERN: 

Aspidium  cristatum. 
{Nephrodiumj  Dryopteris  cristata.) 

Fertile  fronds  quite  erect^  often  3  feet  high, 
much  taller  than  the  sterile^,  which  are  somewhat 
reclining,  pinnate;  pinnae  broadest  at  the  base, 
tapering  toward  the  tips,  the  lowest  pair  almost  tri- 
angular, deeply  pinnatifid;  pinnules  6  to  10  pairs, 
oblong,  blunt,  finely  toothed,  the  lower  pinnatifid- 
lobed,  and  those  nearest  the  rachis  sometimes 
separate;  stipes  chaffy. 

Owing  to  the  upright  stalks  of  the  fertile  fronds 
the  pinnae  arrange  themselves  nearly  in  a  horizon- 
tal plane,  thus  appearing  farther  apart  than  those 
of  most  species. 

Fruit  dots  as  near  the  midvein  as  the  margin; 
indusium  broad  and  conspicuous,  smooth. 

Found  in  swampy  woods  from  Canada  to  North 
Carolina,  Arkansas  and  Idaho. 

The  variety  Clintonianum  has  larger  and  broader 
fronds,  pinnae  cut  into  8  to  l6  pairs  of  pinnules. 

The  crested  ferns  often  hybridize  with  the 
marginal  shield  ferns,  producing  intermediate  or 
distorted   fronds. 


-{—T ^ 


Crested   Shield  Fern    (a). 


108  ASPIDIUM 

NOTES. 


V::^mpfMhAm 


II  Whv 


»f^)/r'' 


^'i^^il  if  r  "^ 


Crested  Shield   Fern    (b) 


no  ASPIDIUM 

BOOTT'S  SHIELD  FERN: 

Aspidium  Boottii. 
(Nephrodium;  Dryopteris.) 

Fronds  quite  erect,  1  to  2^/2  feet  tall,  long  lance- 
shaped  in  outline,  somewhat  narrowed  at  the  base; 
fertile  fronds  taller  than  the  sterile,  twice  pinnate 
below,  a  feature  by  which  it  may  be  distinguished 
from  the  crested  ferns;  pinnae  horizontal  as  in  the 
crested  ferns,  the  lower  somewhat  triangular,  the 
upper  longer  and  narrower;  pinnules  spiny- 
toothed,  the  lower  pinnatifid;  scales  on  stipe  pale 
brown. 

Fruit  dots  borne  in  a  double  row  on  the  pin- 
nules; indusium  minutely  glandular. 

Boott's  shield  fern  seems  to  stand  half  way  be- 
tween A.  spinulosum,  var.  intermedium  and  A. 
cristatum,  and  is  thought  by  many  to  be  a  hybrid 
between  the  two.  The  cutting  is  like  the  former, 
while  in  shape  it  resembles  the  latter;  apparently 
variable. 

Found  in  swampy  woods  in  Canada  and  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  United  States. 

NOTES. 


Boott's  Shield  Fern. 


112  ASPIDIUM 

SPINULOSE  SHIELD  FERN: 

Aspidium  spinuldsum. 
(Nephrodiumj  Dryopteris  spinulosa.) 

Fronds  1  to  3  feet  high^  finely  cut  with  a  deli- 
cate, lace-like  effect,  twice  pinnate;  pinnae  ob- 
lique to  the  rachis,  elongated-triangular,  the  lowest 
pairs  broadly  triangular;  pinnules  set  obliquely  to 
the  midribs,  with  spiny-toothed  lobes,  those  on  the 
lower  side  usually  elongated  especially  in  the  low- 
est pinnae;  scales  on  the  stipes  pale  brown. 

Fruit  dots  borne  on  the  backs  of  the  ordinary 
fronds;  indusium  smooth,  without  marginal  glands. 

Found  in  rich  woods  from  Virginia  and  Ken- 
tucky to  the  far  north. 

In  the  variety  intermedium  the  margin  of  the 
indusium  is  irregular  and  beset  with  minute, 
stalked  glands,  and  the  scales  on  the  stipe  are 
brown  with  a  darker  center;  common. 

In  the  variety  dilatatum  the  fronds  are  long  egg- 
shaped  in  outline,  the  lower  pinnules  often  much 
elongated,  the  indusium  smooth  without  marginal 
glands,  and  the  scales  on  the  stipe  have  dark  cen- 
ters.     Found  chiefly  in  rocky,  upland  woods. 

NOTES. 


I^K**- 


SpiiHilose  Shield  Fern   (a). 


U4  ASPIDIUM 


NOTES. 


Spinulose  Shield  Fern  (b). 


116  ASPIDIUM 


NOTES. 


ASPIDIUM  117 

NOTES. 


118  WOODWARDIA 

COMMON  or  VIRGINIAN  CHAIN  FERN: 

Woodtvdrdia  virginica. 

Fronds  2  to  4  feet  high^  with  stipes  nearly  as 
long  as  the  blades^  quite  similar  in  appearance  to 
the  sterile  fronds  of  the  cinnamon  fern^  pinnate; 
pinnae  lance-shaped;,  cut  nearly  to  the  midrib  into 
blunt,  slightly-curving  segments. 

Fruit  dots  elongated,  borne  in  two  series:  one 
series  borne  parallel  to  the  midribs  of  the  pinnae, 
and  the  other  parallel  to  the  midribs  of  the  seg- 
ments. 

Found  in  swamps  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Florida, 
Louisiana,  Michigan  and  Ontario. 

NOTES. 


Virginian  Cliain   Fern 


120  WOODWARDIA 

NARROW-LEAVED  CHAIN  FERN: 

Woodwdrdia  areolata. 
(W.  angustifolia.) 

Sterile  and  fertile  fronds  dissimilar;  sterile 
fronds  12  to  20  inches  long^  cut  nearly  to  the  mid- 
rib into  oblongs  acute^  finely-toothed  divisions,  the 
lower  divisions  often  narrowed  abruptly  at  the 
base,  the  upper  connected  by  a  broad  wing;  fertile 
fronds  taller  than  the  sterile,  appearing  later,  pin- 
nate, with  long,  very  narrow  and  distant  pinnae, 
which  are  just  wide  enough  for  two  lines  of  large, 
elongated,  sunken  fruit  dots ;  indusium  thick ; 
stipes  black  and  shining.  There  are  many  grada- 
tions between  the  two  classes  of  fronds. 

Found  in  wet  woods,  chiefly  near  the  Atlantic 
coast,  from  Maine  to  Florida  and  Texas,  locally 
inland  in  Arkansas  and  Michigan. 

NOTES. 


Narrow-Leaved  Chain  Fern. 


122  CHEILANTHES 

HAIRY  LIP  FERN:  Cheildnthes  landsa, 

(C.  vestita.y 

Fronds  6  to  15  inches  long,  narrowly  lance- 
shaped  in  outline,  hairy,  twice  pinnate;  pinnae 
rather  distant;  pinnules  deeply  lobed;  stipes  dark 
and  hairy;  bears  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  rusty 
Woodsia,  from  which  it  may  be  distinguished  by 
the  absence  of  a  joint  on  the  stipe. 

Fruit  dots  very  small,  marginal,  the  ends  of  the 
lobes  of  the  pinnules  reflexed,  but  pushed  back  by 
the  ripening  sporangia. 

Found  on  cliffs  from  Connecticut  to  Minnesota, 
Wyoming  and  southward. 


Hairy   Up    Fern. 


124  CHEILANTHES 

WOOLLY  LIP  FERN:       Cheildnthes  tomentosa. 

Fronds  8  to  20  inches  high,  long  lance-shaped, 
densely  woolly,  especially  beneath,  bearing  a  gen- 
eral resemblance  to  the  hairy  lip-fern,  but  is  three 
times  pinnate;  ultimate  pinnules  very  small, 
rounded;  stipes  dark,  densely  woolly. 

Fruit  dots  marginal;  indusium  formed  by  the 
reflexed  edges  of  the  pinnules. 

Found  on  exposed  rocks  from  Virginia  and  Ken- 
tucky southward  and  westward. 

NOTES. 


ym 


inrn:) 


Y}.0. 


Woolly  I.ip  Fern. 


126  CHEILANTHES 

FEE'S  LIP  FERN:  Cheildnthes  Feel 

(C.  lanuginosa.^ 

Fronds  3  to  8  inches  long,  densely  woolly  on  the 
under  side,  slightly  so  above,  twice  or  three  times 
pinnate;  pinnules  pinnatifid,  or  mostly  divided 
into  small,  roundish  segments,  terminal  one  the 
largest;  lowest  pinnae  rather  distant;  stipes  dark, 
hairy  at' first. 

Fruiting  portion  much  as  in  other  lip  ferns. 

Found  on  rocks  in  dense  mats  from  Illinois  and 
IMinnesota  westward  and  southward. 

NOTES. 


p 


k^-'f^ 


Fee's  Lip  Fern. 


128  CHEILANTHES 

ALABAMA  LIP  FERN: 

Cheildnthes  alahamensis. 

Fronds  4  to  l6  inches  long,  smooth,  lance-shaped 
in  outline,  twice  pinnate;  pinnae  numerous,  short- 
stalked;  pinnules  often  eared  or  lobed;  stipes 
dark,  slender. 

Fruit  dots  marginal;  indusium  formed  by  the  re- 
flexed  margins  of  the  pinnules,  j^ale,  rather  broad, 
nearly  continuous. 

Found  on  rocks  from  Virginia  to  Missouri  and 
southward. 


Alabama  Lip  Fern. 


130  POLYPODIUM 

COMMON  POLYPODY:       Poly  podium  vulgare. 

Fronds  4  to  10  inches  high,  evergreen;,  smooth 
on  both  sides_,  deeply  pinnatifid,  occasionally 
variable  in  their  form  and  cutting. 

Fruit  dots  large,  without  indusia,  borne  mid- 
way between  the  midvein  and  the  margin. 

Common,  especially  northward,  growing  in  col- 
onies on  shaded  rpcks. 

NOTES. 


Common   Polypody    (a). 


132  POLYPODIUM 


134  POLYPODIUM 

GRAY  or  HOARY  POLYPODY: 

Polypddium  polypodioiides. 
{P.  incanum.) 

Fronds  2  to  7  inches  long^  evergreen,  deeply 
pinnatifid  with  blunt  divisions;  similar  in  appear- 
ance to  those  of  the  common  polypody,  but  may  be 
distinguished  by  the  stipe  and  under  surface  of 
the  frond  being  thickly  covered  with  gray  or 
brownish  scales  fastened  at  the  center. 

Fruit  dots  rather  small,  without  indusia,  and 
near  the  margin. 

Found  on  rocks  and  the  trunks  of  trees,  Vir- 
ginia, Ohio,  Iowa  and  southward. 


Gray  Polyi)0(ly, 


136  POLYPODIUM 


NOTES. 


POLVrODIUM  137 


138  ADIANTUM 

MAIDENHAIR  FERN:  Adidntum  pedatum. 

Fronds  8  to  20  inches  high^  nearly  circular  in 
outline;  stipes  dark  and  shining,  erect,  forked  at 
the  summit,  each  branch  bearing  on  one  side  sev- 
eral pinnate  divisions;  pinnules  numerous,  short- 
stalked,  without  a  midvein. 

Fruit  dots  marginal;  indusium  formed  by  the 
reflexed  edges  of  the  toothlets.  Nearly  every 
frond  fertile. 

Found  in  moist  woods,  growing  in  clumps, 
widely  distributed. 

NOTES. 


Maidenhair  Fern. 


140  ADIANTUM 

VENUS'-HAIR  FERN: 

Adidntum  Capillus- Veneris. 

Fronds  4  to  20  inches  liigli^  with  a  continuous 
main  rachis^  twice  or  three  times  pinnate  at  the 
base,  simply  pinnate  above;  pinnules  broad  or  nar- 
row wedge-shaped,  their  outer  edges  deeply  toothed 
or  notched;  veins  springing  from  the  base  like  the 
ribs  of  a  fan. 

Fruit  dots  marginal;  indusium  formed  by  the 
reflexed  edges  of  the  pinnules. 

Found  in  moist,  rocky  places  from  southeastern 
Pennsylvania  to  Missouri  and  Florida,  also  in  Da- 
kota and  southwestward. 

NOTES. 


^ 


Venus'-Hair  Fern. 


142  WOODSIA 

RUSTY  WOODSIA:  Woodsia  ilvensis. 

Fronds  long  lance-shaped  in  outline,  seldom 
more  than  8  inches  high,  pinnate ;  pinnae  cut  nearly 
to  the  midrib  into  short,  rounded,  closely-set  lobes. 
The  fronds  are  clothed  underneath  with  a  dense, 
woolly  coating,  which  soon  turns  to  a  rusty  brown, 
and  almost  conceals  the  fruit  dots.  The  young 
fronds,  when  unrolling,  are  covered  with  silvery- 
white,  hair-like  scales.  Stipes  rather  short,  pos- 
sessing an  obscure  joint  an  inch  or  more  above  the 
base,  at  which  point  the  old  fronds  separate,  leav- 
ing the  stubble.  This  cliaracteristic  serves  to  dis- 
tinguish the  rusty  Woodsia  from  Cheilanthes  lanosa. 

Fruit  dots  borne  near  the  margins  of  the  lobes, 
running  together  when  old. 

Found  on  exposed  rocks,  growing  in  dense 
clumps,  from  the  Arctic  regions  to  the  mountains 
of  North  Carolina. 

NOTES. 


Rusty  Woodsia  (a). 


lU  WOODSIA 


NOTES. 


,.^sw 


/ 


"^  ^ cT^ 

-3 

"C^ 

Rusty  Woodsia  (b). 

146  WOODSIA 

OBTUSE  WOODSIA:  Woddsia  ohtusa. 

Fronds  8—20  inches  long^  broadly  lance-shaped, 
minutely  glandular-hairy,  pinnate;  pinnae  rather 
distant,  pinnatifid  or  pinnate  below,  with  oblong, 
slightly-lobed  pinnules.  Both  pinnae  and  pinnules 
are  quite  blunt.  In  this  respect  it  differs  from 
Cystopteris  fragilis,  with  which  it  may  be  con- 
fused. The  stipes  are  about  a  third  as  long  as  the 
blades,  and  bear  scattered,  brownish  scales. 

Fruit  dots  round,  borne  on  or  below  the  minute 
lobes;  indusium  fixed  to  the  frond  underneath  the 
sorus,  early  splitting  into  several  segments,  which 
spread  out  in  a  ragged  star  shape. 

Found  on  rocky  banks  and  cliffs  from  Nova 
Scotia  to  Georgia  and  westward. 

NOTES. 


Obtuse  Woodsia. 


14^8  WOODSIA 

NORTHERN  or  ALPINE  WOODSIA: 

Woodsia  alpina. 
{W.  hyperborea.) 

Fronds  2  to  6  inches  long,  narrowly  lance- 
shaped,  growing  in  little  tufts,  smooth  above,  spar- 
ingly chaffy  beneath,  pinnate;  pinnae  somewhat 
triangular,  blunt,  cut  nearly  to  the  midrib  into 
rounded  lobes. 

Indusium  consists  of  a  few  hair-like  processes 
which  radiate  from  beneath  the  round  sori. 

Found  in  the  mountains  of  New  York,  Vermont 
and  Maine,  and  northward;  rare. 


IS^ 


Alpine  Woodsia. 


150  WOODSIA 

SMOOTH  WOODSIA:  Woodsia  glabella. 

Fronds  2  to  5  inches  high,  rather  narrow,  very 
delicate,  similar  in  appearance  to  the  Alpine 
Woodsia,  but  the  fronds  and  stipes  (above  the 
joint)  are  smooth  and  the  lower  pinnae  are  inclined 
to  be  more  fan-shaped,  slightly  toothed. 

Fruit  dots  scanty. 

Found  on  moist  rocks  from  northern  New  Eng- 
land, New  York,  Minnesota,  to  the  far  north. 

NOTES. 


'/^ 


Smooth   Woodsia. 


152  WOODSIA 

NOTES. 


WOODSIA  153 


NOTES. 


154  CAMPTOSORUS 

WALKING  FERN;  WALKING  LEAF: 

Camptosorus  rhizophyllus. 

Fronds  small,  evergreen,  4  to  12  inches  long, 
lobed  or  heart-shaped  at  the  base,  the  early  ones 
short  and  blunt,  the  fertile  usually  gradually  taper- 
ing into  a  long,  slender  prolongation,  which  often 
takes  root  at  the  tip,  forming  a  new  plant. 

Fruit  dots  elongated,  scattered. 

Found  on  rocks  forming  dense  mats.  Abundant 
locally  from  Maine  to  Ottawa  and  Minnesota,  south 
to  Kansas,  Alabama  and  Georgia. 

NOTES. 


"Walking   Fern    (a). 


156  CAMPTOSORUS 


NOTES. 


Walking   Fern    (b). 


158  DICKSONIA 

HAY-SCENTED  FERN: 

Dicksdnia  punctilohula. 
{D.  pilosiuscula;  Dennstaedtia  punctilobula.) 

Fronds  1  to  3  feet  high^  minutely  glandular  and 
hairy^  twice  pinnate ;  pinnae  lance-shaped,  pointed ; 
pinnules  deeply  cut  into  toothed  lobes. 

Fruit  dots  minute^  each  borne  on  the  margin  of 
a  recurved  toothlet;  indusium  cup-like_,  open  at  the 
top. 

Found  in  shade  and  sunlight,  often  forming 
large  patches  in  upland  pastures,  from  Nova  Scotia 
to  Minnesota  and  Alabama. 


mil 


Hav-ScTiUcd  Fern. 


160  NOTHOLAENA 

CLOAK  FERN:  Notholaena  dealbhta. 

{N.  nivea,  var.  dealbata.) 

Fronds  small,  2  to  6  inches  long,  once  to  four 
times  pinnate;  pinnae  somewhat  egg-shaped  in  out- 
line, slender  stalked,  the  ultimate  pinnules  very 
small,  white  and  powdery  on  the  under  surface; 
stipes  dark  and  shining. 

Fruit  dots  roundish  or  oblong,  without  indusia, 
borne  near  the  margins  of  the  pinnules. 

Found  on  limestone,  Missouri,  Kansas  and  south- 
westward. 

NOTES. 


Cloak    Fern. 


162  SCOLOPENDRIUM 

HART'S  TONGUE:  Scolopendrium  vulgare. 

{Phyllitis  Scolopendrium.) 

Fronds  long  and  narrow,  rarely  20  inches  in 
length  or  2  inches  in  width,  usually  wavy-margined, 
somewhat  heart-shaped  or  eared  at  the  base,  and 
often  forked  at  the  tip. 

Fruit  dots  long  and  narrow,  borne  oblique  or 
nearly  at  right  angles  to  the  midvein,  opening 
along  the  middle. 

Has  been  found  in  shaded,  rocky  places  in  a  few 
spots  in  central  New  York,  Tennessee,  New 
Brunswick  and  Ontario. 

NOTES. 


i^ 

<< 

'^ 

-^, 

'^ 

f< 

v-":^ 

^-* 

^''^ 

V 

^ 

^ 

-^ 

'J^ 

X 

^u 

I 


Hart's  Tongue. 


164  CYSTOPTERIS 

COMMON  BLADDER  FERN: 

Cystopteris  frdgilis^ 
(^Filix  fragilis.) 

Fronds  acute^  seldom  more  than  15  inches  long, 
twice  or  three  times  pinnate;  pinnae  mostly  acute, 
pinnate  or  pinnatifid  with  narrow,  lobed  or  toothed 
pinnules;  fronds  variable  in  their  shape  and  cut- 
ting; stipe  fully  as  long  as  the  blade.  It  is  some- 
times confused  with  JVoodsia  ohtusa,  but  the  pinnae 
and  pinnules  of  JVoodsia  are  usually  broader  and 
more  obtuse,  and  the  indusium  opens  in  a  decidedly 
different  manner  from  that  of  the  bladder  ferns. 

Fruit  dots  rather  small  and  thickly  scattered  over 
the  lobes  of  the  pinnules;  indusium  taper-pointed 
when  young,  attached  to  the  pinnules  by  the  base, 
and  opening  on  the  side  toward  the  ajoex  of  the 
lobes,  soon  disappearing. 

Found  on  shaded  cliffs  and  in  rocky  woods, 
widely  distributed. 


Common  Bladder  Fern    (a). 


166  CYSTOPTERIS 


NOTES. 


Coiiinion    Bladder    I-'crn    (I)). 


168  CYSTOPTERIS 

BULBIFEROUS  BLADDER  FERN: 

Cystopteris  bulbifera. 
{Filia:  bulbifera.) 

Fronds  1  to  3  feet  long,  widest  at  the  base, 
gradually  tapering  toward  the  tip,  twice  pinnate; 
pinnules  pinnatifid  or  toothed;  stipes  short,  rachis 
and  pinnae  often  bearing  bulblets  beneath. 

Fruit  dots  small,  roundish;  indusium  opening  on 
the  side  toward  the  tips  of  the  lobes^  soon  wither- 
ing. 

Found  on  moist  banks  and  rocks  from  Newfound- 
land to  North  Carolina,  Alabama  and  westward. 

NOTES. 


Bulbiferous  Bladder  Fern    (a). 


Bulbiferous  Bladder  Fern   (b). 


THE  CURLY  GRASS  FAMILY 


172  SCHIZAEA 

CURLY  GRASS:  Schizaea  pusilla. 

Fronds  very  narrow,  grass-like,  in  no  respect  re- 
sembling those  of  ordinary  ferns;  sterile  fronds 
an  inch  or  more  long,  fertile  fronds  erect,  3  to  5 
inches  tall,  bearing  at  the  tip  4  or  5  pairs  of  short, 
crowded,  finger-like  pinnae  which  enclose  the  spo- 
rangia. 

Found  in  low  grounds  and  pine  barrens  of  New 
Jersey,  and  in  Nova  Scotia  and  Newfoundland. 

NOTES. 


Curly  Grass. 


174  LYGODIUM 

CLIMBING  FERN:  Lygodium  palmatum. 

Fronds  climbing  or  twining,  12  to  40  inches 
long^  with  short,  alternate  branches  scattered  along 
the  stipe,  each  branch  forked  and  bearing  a  pair  of 
leaflets  or  frondlets,  which  are  divided  into  4  to  7 
finger-like  lobes. 

Fertile  portion  borne  near  the  summit  of  the 
fronds,  several  times  forked,  the  lobes  contracted 
and  forming  small  clusters. 

Found  locally  in  moist  thickets  and  open  woods, 
from  New  Hampshire  to  Florida,  Tennessee  and 
Kentucky. 


Climbing  Fern, 


176  LYGODIUM 


NOTES. 


THE  FILMY  FERN  FAMILY 


178  TRICHOMANES 

FILMY  FERN:  Triclwmanes  Boschianum. 

(T.   radicans.) 

Fronds  4  to  8  inches  long,  an  inch  or  more  wide 
at  the  base,  tapering  toward  the  apex,  twice  pin- 
natifid,  the  divisions  lobed  and  toothed;  rachis  and 
upper  part  of  stipe  conspicuously  winged. 

Fruit  dots  marginal,  sporangia  clustered  around 
a  slender  bristle,  which  is  a  prolongation  of  a  vein, 
and  surrounded  by  a  vase-like  receptacle.  In  old 
fronds  the  bristle  is  long  and  prominent. 

Found  on  moist  cliffs  from  Kentucky  to  Ala- 
bama. 


Filmy  Fern. 


180  TRICHOMANES 


NOTES. 


THE  ADDER'S  TOXGUE 
FAMILY 


18S  OPHIOGLOSSUM 

ADDER'S  TONGUE: 

Ophioglossum  vulgatum. 

Sterile  frond  leaf-like^,  2  to  4  inches  long,  usually 
elliptic  or  egg-shaped,  rather  fleshy,  borne  near  the 
middle  of  the  common  stalk;  midvein  indistinct  or 
none,  the  principal  veins  forming  a  loose  network, 
the  meshes  nearly  free  from  secondary  veins.  The 
fertile  spike  bears  two  rows  of  sporangia  at  the 
top  of  the  stalk;  3  to  10  inches  high.  Slightly 
varying  forms  are  occasional. 

Found  in  wet  meadows,  but  not  common,  from 
Canada  to  Florida,  west  to  Missouri  and  California. 

NOTES. 


Adder's  Tongue. 


184  OPHIOGLOSSUM 


NOTES. 


OPHIOGLOSSUM  185 


NOTES. 


186  BOTRYCHIUM 

LANCE-LEAVED  GRAPE  FERN:* 

Botrycliium  lanceolatum,  var.  angustisegmentum. 
The  lance-leaved  grape  fern  consists  of  a  sterile 
and  fertile  portion  surmounting  a  common  stalk. 
The  sterile  division  is  triangular  in  outline^  seated 
near  the  top  of  a  long^  slender  stalky  with  two  or 
more  pairs  of  pinnae,  the  lowest  pair  being  the 
largest,  lobes  acute;  variable  in  its  cutting;  vein- 
lets  forking  from  a  continuous  midvein.  The  fer- 
tile portion  rises  but  slightly  above  the  sterile;  3  to 
9  inches  high. 

Found  from  Nova  Scotia  to  New  Jersey,  Ohio 
and  Lake  Superior. 

*  The  Botrychiums  are  an  exceedingly  variable  group, 
puzzling  even  to  the  expert  botanists.  For  this  reason 
no  attempt  has  been  made  in  this  book  to  enumerate  all 
the  different  varieties. 

NOTES. 


Lance-Leaved  Grape  Fern. 


188  BOTRYCHIUM 

MATRICARY  GRAPE  FERN: 

Botrychium  ramdsum. 
(B.  matricariae folium;  B.  neglectum.) 

The  matricary  grape  fern  is  quite  similar  in 
form  to  the  lance-leaved  and  intergrading  forms 
are  frequent.  It  is  the  more  common  of  the  two. 
The  sterile  division  is  egg-shaped  or  triangular  in 
outline^  joined  to  the  main  stalk  by  a  short  stem, 
varying  from  pinnate  to  twice  pinnatifid,  the  lobes 
rather  blunt;  midvein  dissipated  into  forking  vein- 
lets.  The  fertile  portion  rises  above  the  sterile, 
usually  disappearing  by  midsummer ;  4  to  1 2  inches 
high. 

Found  in  rich  soil  from  eastern  Quebec  to  Mary- 
land and  westward. 

NOTES. 


Matricary  Grape  Fern. 


190  BOTRYCHIUM 

LITTLE  GRAPE  FERN: 

Botrychium  simplex. 
{B.  tenebrosum.) 

This  fern  is  one  of  the  rarest  and  smallest  of 
the  Botrychiums,  usually  less  than  3  inches  high. 
The  sterile  segment  is  short-stemmed,  joined  to  the 
main  stalk  anj^where  from  near  the  base  to  the 
summit.  It  is  thickish,  roundish  or  3  to  7  lobed, 
the  lobes  roundish,  scarcely  toothed;  veins  all  fork- 
ing from  the  base.  The  fertile  spike  rises  above 
the  sterile  and  may  be  simple  or  compound. 

Found  in  moist  woods  or  open  places  from  Nova 
Scotia  to  Marjdand,  Ontario,  Minnesota  and  the 
Rocky  Mountains;  rare. 

NOTES. 


Little  Grape  Fern. 


192  BOTRYCHIUM 

COMMON  GRAPE  FERN: 

Botrychium  ohliquum, 
(B.  ternatum,  var.  obliquum.) 

Sterile  frond  somewhat  triangular  in  outline, 
with  6  or  more  pairs  of  stalked  pinnae,  which  are 
again  pinnate  or  lobed,  exceedingly  variable  in 
their  cutting,  and  several  varieties  have  been 
named;  often  fails  to  make  its  appearance  until 
midsummer.  Fertile  portion  stands  erect,  much 
taller  than  the  sterile,  and  fruits  rather  heavily;  6 
to  18  inches  high.  Sterile  and  fertile  portions  ter- 
minate separate  stalks  springing  from  the  base. 

Found  in  pastures  and  open  woods  from  New 
Brunswick  and  Ontario  to  Minnesota  and  south- 
ward. 

B.  ternatum,  var.  intermedium  is  similar  in  habit 
to  the  preceding,  but  the  ultimate  segments  are 
more  numerous  and  usually  more  rounded  at  the 
apex.  Found  in  open  woods  and  pastures  in  New 
England  and  New  York. 

NOTES. 


Coniinoii   Cirape   Fern. 


194  BOTRYCHIUM 

DISSECTED  GRAPE  FERN: 

Botrychium  ohliquum,  var.  dissectum. 
Sterile  fronds  finely  dissected,  the  ultimate  seg- 
ments  ending  in  small   Y-shaped  divisions;  often 
found  in  company  with  the  typical  form. 

NOTES. 


Dissected  Grape  Fern. 


196  BOTRYCHIUM 

RATTLESNAKE  FERN: 

Botrychium  virginianum. 

The  rattlesnake  fern  consists  of  a  single  stalk, 
surmounted  by  a  single  frond,  which  is  divided 
into  a  sterile  and  fertile  portion.  The  sterile  part 
is  broadly  triangular^  the  lowest  pair  of  pinnae  be- 
ing so  large  as  to  appear  as  if  the  frond  were  di- 
vided into  three  principal  divisions.  The  fertile 
portion,  which  rises  above  the  sterile,  discharges  its 
spores  early,  and  withers  often  by  July.  Many 
plants  are  sterile. 

A  solitary  species,  sometimes  3  feet  in  height,  but 
commonly  much  less,  found  in  shaded  woods; 
widely  distributed  throughout  the  United  States. 

NOTES. 


Rattlcsnnkc  Fern. 


198  BOTRYCHIUM 

MOONWORT:  Botrychium  Lunaria. 

The  moonwort  bears  a  single  frond  divided  into  a 
sterile  and  fertile  portion.  The  sterile  frond  con- 
sists of  5—15  half-moon  or  fan-shaped  lobes  or 
pinnae,  more  or  less  toothed.  The  veins  radiate 
from  the  base  of  each  pinna  and  fork  repeatedly. 
The  fertile  portion  usually  rises  above  the  sterile. 

A  fleshy  little  plant,  usually  less  than  one  foot 
high,  growing  in  old  fields.  It  is  a  northern  spe- 
cies, rare  within  its  southern  limits,  ranging  from 
Greenland  and  Alaska  south  to  the  New  England 
states.  New  York  and  westward ;  rare. 

A  similar  form  found  in  central  New  York  has 
been  named  B,  Onondagense, 

NOTES. 


"I 

Moonwort. 


200  BOTRYCHIUM 


NOTES. 


BOTRYCHIUM  201 


NOTES. 


202  BOTRYCHIUM 


NOTES. 


INDEX 


Adder's    Tongue 
Adiantuin  Capillus- Veneris 
Adiantuni  pedatuni 
Asj)i(liuin  acrostiehoidcs 
Aspidiinn  aeuleatum,  var 
Aspidiinn  Boottii 
Aspidiinn  cristatuni 
Aspidiuni  Filix-nias 
Aspidiuni  fragrans 
Aspidiuni  Cloldicanuni 
Asjudiuni  Lonchitis 
As])i(iiuni  inarginale 
Aspidiuin  novelioraoense 
Aspidium  sinuilatuin 
Aspidiuni  spinulosum     . 
Aspidiuin  Thelypteris    . 
Asplenium  acrostiehoides 
Asplenium  angusti folium 
Asplenium  Bradleyi 
Asplenium  ebencum 
Asplenium  ehenoidos 
Asplenium  Filix-femina 
Asplenium  montanum    . 
Asplenium  ]>arvulum 
Asplenium  pimiatifidwm 
Asplenium  ])laty neuron 
Asplenium  res i liens 
Asplenimn  Ruta-nuiraria 
Asplenimn  thelypteroides 
As])lenium  'rrichomanes 
Asi)lenium  viride 
Athyrium  aerosliclioidcs 
Athyrium  august ifolium 
Athyrium  Filix-femina 


Br 


PAGE 
18:? 
140 

138 

80 

8() 

110 

106 

100 

104 

102 

81. 

96 

92 

94 

U2 

90 

26 

38 

50 

30 

40 

:?4 

38 
34 
4-^ 
30 
34 
Mi 
20 
44 
48 
20 
2H 
21 


ws 


^204^  INDEX 


PAGE 

Beech  Fern,  Broad         74 

Beech  Fern,  Long 72 

Bladder  Fern,  Bulbiferous 168 

Bladder  Fern,  Common 164 

Botrychium  lanceolatum,  var.  angustisegmentum       .  186 

Botrychium  Lunaria 198 

Botrychium  matricarlaefolium 188 

Botrychium  neglectum         188 

Botrychium  obliquum 192 

Botrychium  obliquum,  var.  dissectum 194 

Botrychium  ramosum 188 

Botrychium  simplex 190 

Botrychium  tenebrosum 190 

Botrychium  ternatum,  var.  obliquum 192 

Botrychium  ternatum,  var.  intermedium    ....  192 

Botrychium  virginianum 196 

Bracken 60 

Brake 14-60 

Brake,  Dense  Cliff 68 

Brake,  Purple  Cliff 62 

Brake,  Rock 70 

Brake,  Slender   Cliff 66 

Camptosorus  rhizophyllus 154 

Chain  Fern,  Common 118 

Chain  Fern,  Narrow-leaved 120 

Cheilanthes  alabamensis 128 

Cheiianthes  Feci 126 

Cheilanthes  lanosa 122 

Cheilanthes  lanuginosa 126 

Cheilanthes  tomentosa 124 

Cheilanthes  vestita 122 

Christmas  Fern 80 

Cinnamon  Fern 14 

Clayton's    Fern 12 

Climbing    Fern 174 

Cloak  Fern 160 

Cryptogramma  acrostichoides 70 

Cryptogramma  densa 68 

Cryptogramma  Stelleri 66 

Curly  Grass 172 

Cystopteris  bulbifera 168 

Cystopteris  fragilis 164 


INDEX  205 


I' AGE 

Dennstaedtia  punctilobula 158 

Dicksonia  pilosiuscula 158 

Dicksonia  punctilobula 158 

Dryopteris  Boottii 110 

Dryopteris  cristata         10(5 

Dryopteris  Filix-mas 100 

Dryopteris  fragrans 104 

Dryopteris  Goldieana 102 

Dryopteris  niarginalis 96 

Dryopteris  noveboracensis 92 

Dryopteris  simulata 94 

Dryopteris  spinulosa 112 

Dryopteris  Thelypteris 90 

Eagle  Fern 60 

Filmy    Fern 178 

Filix  bulbifera 168 

Filix  fragilis         164 

Flowering  Fern 18 

Fragrant    Fern 104 

Grape  Fern,  Common 192 

Grape  Fern,  Dissected        194 

Grape  Fern,  Lance-leaved 186 

Grape  Fern,  Little 190 

Grape  Fern,  Matricary 188 

Hart's    Tongue 162 

Hay-scented   Fern 158 

Hoilv  Fern 8t 

Holly  Fern,  Braun's 86 

Interrupted  Fern 12 

Ladv  Fern 1^4 

Lip 'Fern,  Alabama 12S 

Lip  Fern,  Fee's         1J() 

Lip  Fern,  Hairv 1.'2 

Lip  Fern,  Woolly 124 

Lygodium  palmatum 174 

Maidenhair  Fern 1:^8 

Male   Fern 100 


206  INDEX 


PAGE 

Marsh  Fern 90 

Massachusetts  Fern 94 

Matteuccia  Struthiopteris 58 

Moonwort 198 

Nephrodium  Boottii 110 

Nephrodium  cristatum 106 

Nephrodium  Filix-mas         100 

Nephrodium  fragrans 104 

Nephrodium  Goldieanum 102 

Nephrodium  marginale 96 

Nephrodium  noveboracense 92 

Nephrodium  simulatum 94 

Nephrodium  spinulosum 112 

Nephrodium  Thelypteris 90 

New   York    Fern 92 

Notholaena  dealbata 160 

Notholaena  nivea,  var.  dealbata 160 

Oak    Fern T6 

Onoclea  sensibilis 54 

Onoclea  sensibilis,  f.  obtusilobata 56 

Onoclea  Struthiopteris         58 

Ophioglossum  vulgatum 182 

Osmunda  cinnamomea 14 

Osmunda  Claytoniana 12 

Osmunda  regalis 18 

Ostrich   Fern 58 

Pellaea  atropurpurea 62 

Pellaea  densa 68 

Pellaea  gracilis G6 

Phegopteris  calcarea 76 

Phegopteris  Dryopteris 76 

Phegopteris  hexagonoptera       . 74 

Phegopteris  Phegopteris 72 

Phegopteris  polypodioides 72 

Phegopteris  Robertiana 76 

Phyllitis  Scolopendrium 162 

Poiypodium  incanum 134 

Polypodium  polypodioides        .........  134 

Poiypodium  vulgare 130 

Polypody,  Common        130 


INDEX  207 


PAGE 

Polypody,  Gray 134 

Poly})ody,  Limestone 76 

Polystichuin  acrostichoides 80 

Polystichum  Braunii 86 

Polystichuin  l.onchitis 84 

Pteris    aquilina 60 

Pteridium  aquilinum 60 

Rattlesnake  Fern 196 

Royal   Fern 18 

Schizaea  pusilla 172 

Scolopendrium  vulgare 162 

Sensitive  Fern 54-56 

Shield  Fern,  Boott's 110 

Shield  Fern,  Crested 106 

Shield  Fern,  Goldie's 102 

Shield  Fern,  JNIarginal         96 

Shield  Fern,  Spinulose 112 

Spleen  wort,  Bradley's 50 

Spleenwort,  Ebony 30 

Spleenwort,  Green 48 

Spleenwort,  Maidenhair 44 

Spleenwort,  Mountain 38 

Spleenwort,  Xarrow-leavcd 28 

Spleenwort,  Pinnatifid         42 

Spleenwort,  Rue 36 

Spleenwort,  Scott's         40 

Si)leenw()rt,  Silvery         2() 

Spleenwort,  Small 34 

Struthio})teris  Gernianic-a 58 

Trichomanes  Boschianum 178 

Trichomanes  radicans 178 

Venus'-hair    Fern 140 

Walking    Fern 154 

Wail    Hue 36 

Woodsia  alpina          14S 

Woodsia,  Alj>ine 148 

Woodsia  glabella 150 

Woodsia  hyi)erborea 148 

Woodsia  ilvcnsis 142 


208  INDEX 


PAGE 

Woodsia  obtusa 14(> 

Woodsia,  Obtuse 146 

Woodsia,  Rusty         .      .  142 

Woodsia,  Smooth 150 

Woodwardia  angustifolia 120 

Woodwardia  areolata 120 

Woodwardia  virginica   > c      .      .  118 


